As many of you who have been reading this blog know, I am one of the millions of Americans out of work right now. While I have thoroughly enjoyed the extra time I've had to work on this blog, indulge in extra long weekday workouts, attend various events, visit the farmers market every Wednesday morning and meet friends for coffee on a weekday afternoon, I am desperately eager to get back into an office. I miss having somewhere to go each day (other than the gym), collaborating with others, the buzz of excitement when something great happens, and yes, I even kind of miss the stress of meeting a tight deadline. While jeans and sneakers were common at my old office, I'm kind of getting tired of the fact that I could stay in my gym clothes until 2pm any day of the week without anyone being the wiser.
A couple weeks ago I had a second interview with a great company. While the specific position sounds incredibly interesting and challenging (which I like), the more I spoke with people and saw of the office atmosphere, the more I longed to work for this company. Even after a few follow up voicemails and emails being left unanswered, I still hold out hope that the hiring manager has simply put off making a final decision and that I still have a chance. I've stalked the company profile on LinkedIn and haven't seen any notice of a 'new hire' for this position, which I feel is a good sign. Anyway, in this incredibly competitive job market, you really have to stand out if you want a job. So, when I had an idea the other day to bake a healthy recipe and have it delivered to the hiring manager (it's a health minded company), I knew I had nothing to lose. I found a Weight Watchers recipe I had pulled a while ago for Oat and Apricot Breakfast Bars. The WW points value is pretty good I thought and I like that it uses whole wheat flour, quick oats and fruit. Of course, I had to give it one test run first since I haven't made them before, and this is what came out:
Well, it was actually a whole 8x8 pan, but you get the point! I found it to be a little dry, but I had used whole rolled oats since it was what we had on hand, and I think I may have baked it a little too long. Other than that, it was very tasty and Woody agreed. To bump up the health quotient a little, I added a bit of ground flaxseed and oat bran.
Tomorrow I'll bake this for real and deliver Monday morning. Maybe they'll think I'm crazy, but hopefully they'll see how much I want to work for them. I believe in their mission and I admire that they really want to help people.
I had this particular piece with my delicious breakfast after a good gym workout. My breakfast was pretty large, but on the weekend we tend to eat two meals with more of a late afternoon snack since we eat Brunch more than Breakfast. My omelet was a success!
My omelet was one egg white and one full egg, corn and green pepper, with a few dried herbs and fresh ground pepper. And a ketchup of course! If you've ever eaten with me, you know I like ketchup. It was only recently though, that I found out how bad it actually is for me. I didn't realize that there is so much sugar in regular ketchup! Because I can't eat eggs or pasties without it, I now only buy organic or natural ketchup that doesn't include all that nasty stuff. It's a bit more expensive, but it's worth it. My fruit salad included a banana, blueberries and two types of mango! The Tommy Atkins mango is the type that is in most stores, but we also have Haitian mangoes at most fruit stands. We had both for breakfast this morning! The Haitian is smaller and a bit sweeter. Both are delicious. And, as you can see, I also had a piece of the Oat & Apricot breakfast bar with a little strawberry preserves on top. I love having eggs and fruit for brunch! I'm still full four hours later!
Anyone running the Achilles Hope & Possibility 5 miler tomorrow? I love this race, it's so inspiring to see people with disabilities running and participating in the wheelchair race. It really puts everything into perspective. I'm sorry I won't be running this year. For those of you who are, keep an eye out for Prince Harry. I hear that he and Peter Orszag (the outgoing Director of the OMB) are both running the race - although I don't think together.
Have you ever done anything a little out of the ordinary when trying to get a job?
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workout stats -
20minutes rowing machine
13miles bike
3x10 straight arm raise
3x10 bicep extension
3x12 weighted side bends
100 crunches
1- 30sec plank
stretching
5 comments:
I hope you get the job! I think it's a great idea and like you said, whatcha got to lose? I put ketchup on everything too, btw. I didn't know about the Achilles run but today I saw some members in the park and I'm always amazed by how incredible it is to see runners paired up with the blind.
Good luck!! I am not currently working either. Michigan is pretty tough, but I have been fortunate enough to get a few interviews here and there. The whole process takes too much time!
I think sending baked goods is a great idea! What do you have to lose?
I was thinking that you might refer them to your blog. Seriously, if they are health minded, the HR Director will appreciate that you are truly dedicated. And don't give up if that position does not happen for you. If you want to work for the company, there will be other opportunities with them. Make sure they know how interested you are in the company. Good luck!
Good luck with the job! I think what you're doing is a GREAT idea; it will definitely help you stand out, which is exactly what you need in this economy!!! GO GET 'EM! :)
Good luck girl! That's a fabulous idea. You'll definitely stand out in their minds!
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